


The bright lights of your soul

by Keuppy



Category: The Last Kids on Earth (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M, minor Jack/June
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24073153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keuppy/pseuds/Keuppy
Summary: The World Before was a far off memory, floating in the background like a soft static pulse thrumming in their hearts. Four years of hardships and suffering had taken it's toll and left it's scars. But, with every night, came a dawn to lead forth the light of a new day. Their dawn was finally here, allowing for rest, recovery, and recuperation. With rest, it brought idle time to evaluate things that had been long since discarded, including the feelings that had been muddled down into the back of their minds, now allowing their hearts to truly be free.
Relationships: Dirk Savage/Quint Baker, Dirk/Quint, Quint Baker/Dirk Savage, Quint/Dirk
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68





	The bright lights of your soul

**Author's Note:**

> I churned this out over a few days, because there's just no content for these two. I'm considering doing some nsfw but I don't know if anyone wants that? They'd be 18+ of course. Let me know!  
> Also I'm sorry that the summary is... way better than this fic I don't know what happened with that description, but it slapped.

It was days like this really that made Dirk believe that the tree-house was on it's last legs. Fall had taken it's leaves and winter had left it in a fresh coat of snow that eventually turned to ice, and finally to water, which _leaked_. It had seen it's share of battles and now, he was sure it was about time to retire it. There was little they could do to repair it without putting more weight onto it and possibly causing the whole thing to just collapse.

Jack seemed the most torn up about it. After all, they had spent nearly four years in there. Four years of hardship, battles, sleepless nights of planning, projects, and of course, the time they'd spent together as a family.

He stared up sadly as the rest of the group took turns loading up the pulley with items from inside before lowering it to the ground where Dirk loaded up the makeshift trailer that was hitched to the truck. Which, was surprisingly, still in great shape. Sure, it had some dents and had rolled more times than a ball heading downhill, but June had taken to repairing it. Of course, with Quint's help, they'd managed to upgrade it until it was a real force to be reckoned with. Which, did make it seem almost comical that they used it for menial tasks like moving items. It currently had chains wrapped around it's tires, making it easy to drive through the snow.

The last few months had comprised of them scouting for a new home. They'd agreed that an actual house was probably a bad idea since they weren't really structurally sound anymore. So, for the time being, they were set up in the old town library. It was large, full of more dust than a well-used vacuum, but it was a sturdy brick building with a fireplace. Quint seemed fond of the idea since he no longer had to make trips to get new books, and even Dirk had found more cookbooks than he knew what to do with.

  
The monsters were still around, which they were thankful for. It meant they had more help for those bigger fights and more knowledge on what kind of creatures were edible.  
Luckily, there were some smaller monsters that were nearly the equivalent of beef and even chicken. Jack had nearly gagged when he watched June dirty her hands as she prepared it to be cooked. They'd all been a bit desensitized to things like this, it was nature and they needed to survive. They managed to use every part of the creatures at least, so nothing would go to waste. Most of it, the other monsters would happily eat. They'd use the skins, depending on what they comprised of. Monsters with scales became armor, ones with fur became blankets.

Dirk was proud of how well they'd adapted over the years. They had so many extra hands now that they even had a full fledged farm in the middle of town. Of course, having extra hands meant extra mouths, but they were doing just fine.

For Dirk's birthday this year, the gang had even managed to make a solar powered machine that made his favorite chips. He blamed his tears on the high pollen in the air. For Jack's, June had kept him distracted in town while Quint and Dirk traveled to different towns nearby in search of movies and games they didn't already have. For June's, they had made her a private office in the library for her writing and research, complete with a handheld device that she could type and write on.

It was nearing Quint's birthday now and they were still spit-balling ideas back and forth for what to do. Although, they had a few they were finally coming to an agreement on. 

Dirk still couldn't believe that there was a time that Quint didn't think he was important. If they didn't have him, they would have been dead within the first few weeks. He was the reason why they had everything they did now. Without him, Dirk was certain they'd be living like cavemen, huddled up in front of a fire eating food off of sticks.

That's why whatever they did, it had to be special.

They had finally set the library up before night had fallen, only working during the day do to the cold. Dirk was still bitter that the weather had turned faster than he thought and killed some of his crops. He used to love the snow as a kid, but now it was a threat. Sure, they still had plenty of food, especially since they had gotten power to the walk in freezer at Joe's. But that didn't mean Dirk wasn't mad that his hard work had been destroyed by a quick change in weather.

Once spring came, he vowed to make a bigger green house for more than just herbs and spices.

After the living space was set up, June had started a fire and quickly dropped to the ground on the rug in front of it with a loud sigh. Rover had curled up behind her, keeping her propped up. Jack made his way over, busying himself by brushing out the dirt in Rover's fur.

Dirk had worked on setting up the make-shift kitchen, wanting to be ready to make dinner for them soon. Quint was helping by clearing the books off of a large, movable, metal bookcase, setting them aside so the shelf could be utilized for food storage.

"I'm going to completely reorganize this place." Quint said idly as he looked at a 'How to draw' book that was... completely ridiculous. He set in it a pile that he deemed the "better off as fire wood" pile.

"And here I thought you'd be against burnin' books." Dirk looked over at Quint, amused as the started stacking books by category.

"The Dewey decimal system is fine, but we need something more practical. We can have it set up by sections. Ones for cooking, for engineering, how-to's that we actually need." Quint continued to work as he prattled on about categories.

"Just keep the Where's Waldo's and coloring books for Jack." Dirk mused as he continued putting things away.

"I heard that!" Jack yelled, only half insulted by the remark.

"Shh." June elbowed him softly. "It's a library, Jack."

"Wha- that doesn't-" Jack faltered as the others laughed.

To anyone else, reorganizing an entire library would have sounded tedious and completely mundane, but for Quint it was something stimulating and exciting. For Quint, it meant having control over something in the otherwise chaotic world they lived in.

In the world before, wanting to do something like this would have made his skin crawl with the thought of how people would react. It was like a quirk that people would mock. His parents wouldn't say anything, but he knew they'd always looked at him with some level of concern when he took on projects like these. He was more quiet back then, used to people's harsh words just because he went on tangents and processed things differently. Even Dirk had been one of those people in the world before. But now, Quint was content. He could prattle on, do things in ways that made sense to him and now how people expected. And his friends would just let him do what he needed, supported him even. They were a support net that he'd never had before. Something to catch him when he fell too far. They could pull him out and make sure he would take breaks, eat, and sleep. Without so much as an ill placed comment to him. Although, it was usually Dirk. He couldn't recall just how many times, Dirk would give him a gentle warning before, after too long, would simply pick him up and pull him away to relax.

Now, Quint was talking about making a whole new system, which, people before would have deemed unnecessary or a waste of time, 'If it isn't broken, don't fix it.' But here, his friends even pitched in by asking how they could help him, or just let him bounce ideas off of them, content to let Quint go on and on.

"We could do the how-to section by category too." June stood and crawled over Rover, her upper torso draped across his back comfortably as her feet barely touched the floor.

"That's what I was thinking." Dirk put the utensils in a drawer and glanced at Quint. "Like, sewing in one area, stuff like wood work in another and junk."

Quint seemed to manifest a notebook from the air with how fast he pulled it out of his bag and quickly wrote things down.

"Would you want your cook books organized in a particular way?" Quint continued writing, completely engrossed.

Dirk hummed in thought as he used a book cart to push a few things into the kitchen space. He was planning on hooking up the water line from the old water fountain into a sink. It wouldn't take much work.

"Maybe. Like, desserts would be separate. Depends on the book I guess." He sat on the floor by the wall and took to work disconnecting the pipes. He didn't look forward to the four year old water that had been sitting in the lines. He'd need to flush them before using it to cook with.

"I'll trust you to sort that section as you please." Quint smiled up at him. 

"Alright. Just leave them for me then." 

Quint nodded and continued with his own work. It would take days to do the entire library. Luckily, winter meant nothing but time for projects. His mind raced with ideas, wondering if it was better to have History organized by linear time, or by where in the world that history was based and then by linear time.

Hours passed, leaving the water line fully flushed now, and piles of well stacked books on the floor, while Jack and June had passed out by the fire promptly after eating dinner.  
Quint had yawned for his umpteenth time, fighting the urge to rub his eyes with his fingers that were covered in dust. Dirk had finished cleaning the kitchen and made his way over to where Quint was methodically sorting books into piles.

"Hey, get to a good stopping place. You need to sleep." He leaned over Quint's shoulder and looked down at the phone book from 1989 in his hands. "That's definitely a burn pile one."

"If phone lines still worked, I may have disagreed." Quint relented and set the book into it's proper pile. "Let me finish this last shelf."

There was only four books left on the shelf so Dirk had nodded approvingly.

"Alright, but I'm gonna pull you away if I see you start a new shelf." His hand had come to rest between Quint's shoulder blades, a motion meant to be gentle and reassuring. If he didn't say something, he knew Quint would over work himself until his body gave out from exhaustion. It had happened once before after a long day of fights and Quint had immediately returned to base to work on a project. When Dirk had woken up the next day he found Quint had knocked out and laying on the floor beside his desk. Since then, Dirk had made sure to monitor Quint and get him to sleep.

Quint had looked back at him and nodded tiredly.

Dirk had wandered off to his "room". Which was one of the many conference rooms in the building that had boarded windows up from the main room for privacy. Everyone had their own room now, a stark change from sleeping in piles of blankets in the living room or in the open spaces of the tree-house.

He pressed the top of the portable light near his bed before he pulled off his shirt tossed it into the corner of the room, digging through a box of clean clothes for bed.

He sighed as he changed and took a moment to sit on the mattress that sat on the floor. He laid back, keeping his legs off the bed as he stared up at the ceiling. A weight settled in his stomach, filling him with an unpleasant heaviness. He'd been protective of Quint ever since they'd joined forces, and for years now, he'd been saddled with feelings that he didn't know how to cope with. With all the uncertainties in their lives, his feelings for Quint had always been consistent. And as time grew on and their lives became more comfortable, he was finally able to sit and process them properly.

He felt selfish for even allowing himself to envision a world where his reality would include having Quint by his side beyond that of an ally or friend.

He liked to imagine that maybe Quint could feel the same. He never shied away from his touch, and on more than a handful of occasions, had fallen asleep beside him on the couch or the floor after a long day. He was sure he'd only imagined the times their hands would seek each other out in comfort. Guilt hung heavy in his heart at the thought that this was just how Quint was naturally and that he was overstepping boundaries by thinking they could be more.

But, Quint wasn't that way with June or even Jack. It was like they were two satellites caught in each other's orbit, unable to break apart. Whenever the team grouped into two, they'd always ended up together, Dirk could count on one hand the number of times had they not been together. Once, when Quint and June had split together to get into smaller places. They were the smaller of the four, Dirk had always been the tallest and broadest of the group, Jack was just a bit shorter than him now, but by no means was he built even remotely the same. While Quint and June were closer in height and build, Quint was just a bit more broad in the shoulders than she was.

The worst time they were apart was when Quint had split off with Jack and ended up being taken by some monster in the woods. Dirk and June were on the other side of town gathering supplies at the time. Jack had reluctantly retreated when Quint had told him to get the others. The monster was too big and far too powerful for just the two of them to fight. They had no idea it was even there. They were just supposed to scout the woods, searching for fungi for Bardle's own research. What had looked like a vine had whipped out and grabbed Jack by the ankle, pulling him harshly onto the ground. Quint had reacted quickly and taken Jack's weapon to smash against the vine. It had released it's grasp on Jack and recoiled before two more came down from a tree and grabbed Quint in retaliation. Jack remembered with horror, the sight of Quint being grabbed by his legs, dangling upside down as he was pulled into what appeared to be a bright green tree trunk.

Nearly the entire town population of monsters had aided in destroying the creature. Quint had ended up poisoned from the thorns that had adorned the vines that held him, including a thick orange layer of slime covering his body, which Bardle said was the monster's version of stomach acid. If he had spent too much time inside of it, he would have been broken down slowly for the monster to feed on.

With Bardle's help, they managed to use the creature's essence to craft a cure for him. The situation was tense, dread hanging in the air as Quint's fever refused to break for days. They all shared the feeling of guilt. Jack for not being able to get Quint out sooner, Bardle for sending them on the search, June and Dirk for not being there. Dirk had never left his side, sitting in a worn out chair beside the bed as he waited impatiently for Quint to come to. Jack and June would come in with around the clock with water for the two of them, and food for Dirk. They'd busied themselves with work, trying to keep their minds busy. His condition was touch and go. If his fever didn't break, there was the chance of some kind of internal damage that would never heal. If he didn't manage to get nutrients, he would become weaker until he would finally slip away.

Dirk had been through a lot in his life, but sitting beside Quint's pale body, knowing he could do nothing more to help, was the worst thing he'd ever had to experience. Dirk would gladly give his own life if it meant Quint's survival.

When he'd finally come to, he was awake for a few minutes at a time, then he was asleep for hours. Eating was nearly impossible, even with soft things, but water had been easier. After a week of this, he was finally awake for hours at a time now, with Dirk ever present by his side even after he'd fully recovered, Dirk never felt comfortable leaving him alone. He'd helped every step of the way, doing his best to make sure Quint could get something into his stomach, or simply turning him over so he wouldn't get sore.

That's what really cemented it for Dirk. Watching him for days on end, afraid that he wouldn't come back. It felt so sudden as he realized that he didn't want to be without Quint. Even if he hadn't had feelings for him, losing him would have been the biggest blow to them all. Dirk had spent so many restless nights, worried over the idea of losing him.

Now that things were calmer, with less big threats, he let himself imagine telling Quint. How would he react? Was there even the slightest hope that he could feel the same?  
He was shaken from his thoughts as a knock came at his door.

"It's open." Dirk sat up, eyes falling onto the door that was already opened just a crack.

Quint appeared on the other side of it, looking even more tired than before.

"Hey, you managed to take a break. Nice." Dirk gave him a small smile. Quint seemed to already be half asleep ad nodded. He'd managed to get ready for bed with what little energy he had left.

They'd left Quint's makeshift bed at the tree house, sure that the ratty old thing would fall apart if they moved it. It left him without a proper bed, and the old couches in the living room were dirty, and better off being used for the wood inside them at this point.

Dirk chuckled and rose to his feet, pulling back the blanket for him. He'd gladly sleep on the floor if it meant Quint would sleep well.

"Alright, shoes off, Q." Dirk stood behind Quint and placed both hands onto his shoulders, guiding him towards the bed. When he'd gotten him to sit, he knelt down and removed his shoes for him, setting them to the side. Dirk headed for the door but stopped as something pulled on his shirt. He blinked and looked back at the hand attached to the bottom of his shirt.

"Don't let me kick you out of your own bed." Quint's voice was small but gravely with exhaustion.

  
"You look like you need it more." Dirk mused as he put his hand over Quint's, gently prying it off of his shirt. Dirk was strong, but he wasn't strong enough to be able to not cave in whenever Quint wanted something. It only took one look at Quint, who was looking away shyly. It was like an arrow flew straight through Dirk's heart, bringing him to his proverbial knees.

It's not like the bed wouldn't be big enough for both of them anyways.

Predictably, Dirk caved in.

"Alright." He let go of Quint's hand and closed the door before moving to the other side of the bed. "I guess it's cold enough so-"

"Right." Quint added quickly, as he carefully lifted the fur blanket that draped over the bed to settle himself underneath it. "Sharing heat and all. It's logical. Better safe than sorry."

Dirk just steeled himself, crawling into the bed fully before he pulled the blanket over them both, almost laying rigidly from how tense he was. He wouldn't be getting any sleep with Quint so close. He still didn't understand why Quint would even want to share the bed with him. At least, not for anything but warmth. The library wasn't frigid, but it certainly wasn't warm unless you were beside the fire, of course.

Dirk reached over and turned the lamp off, leaving them with nothing but the soft moonlight cascading in from the windows, leaving the room in a soft blue hue. He hoped that Quint could sleep at least.

Despite the tense situation, Dirk closed his eyes and tried force himself to relax.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed before he felt Quint shifting beside him, shivering slightly. Had he somehow taken all of the blanket from him?

He glanced over to see Quint on his side, facing away from him. He was curled up slightly, obviously trying to stay warm. Dirk had always ran hot so he never really had a big issue with the cold. Quint, however, was much smaller than he was and maybe it meant he got cold faster.

"Quint." Dirk rolled onto his side so he was facing Quint's back. "If you're still cold, you could-. Well, um. Here."

Dirk had always been better with actions than with words. Case in point, he easily grabbed Quint by the hips and pulled him close. Quint tensed up a bit as he was positioned, his breath caught in his throat.

"I'll be your personal heater." Dirk closed his eyes, tucking Quint's head under his chin carefully, fully aware that Quint was still awake. Dirk had left his hold around him loose so he could break away with ease if he wasn't comfortable. To his surprise, Quint finally relaxed some and shifted until he was pressed a bit closer to him.

Dirk really wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

  
\---

  
Dirk had woken up to the sound of a crash. His eyes shot open and he sat up, looking around for any sign of danger.

He glanced down at the weight against his chest to find an equally startled Quint. His hold around him tightened protectively.

A moment after the crash occurred, they both heard June yelling at Jack for letting Rover chase bugs inside.

Both boys sighed and relaxed, Dirk leaning against the wall as he loosened his hold around Quint, who was still pressed against his chest. By the look of the light flushing into the room, it was early morning still. Dirk was suddenly more tired than before he went to bed from the sudden rush of adrenaline. He released his hold on Quint fully and collapsed back onto the bed.

"Jeez." Dirk sighed again as he laid his arm over his face and closed his eyes, noting that Quint did not fall back in beside him, which was letting cold air under the blanket.

"I guess Rover is awake." Quint yawned and stared at the door as if he expected it to burst open.

Dirk opened an eye at him, practically seeing the cogs turning in his head. If he didn't make Quint go back to sleep he was going to get up and get back to his project on what little energy he had. But Dirk was feeling selfish, so he reached up and grabbed Quint by the back of his shirt before yanking him back down into his arms.

Quint let out a small noise of surprise as he fell back.

"Too early." Dirk muttered into his pillow, carefully tucking Quint into his side once more.

"Shouldn't we check on-"

"Nope." Dirk put an emphasis on the 'p' by popping it.

Quint frowned but relaxed back into the hold, reaching a hand up to press it to one of the arms wrapped around him, trying to give some kind of agreeing response.

The two closed their eyes and started to relax again, trying to let sleep come to them.

Of course, that's when Jack came knocking on the door, his voice much louder than it needed to be at the early hour that it was.

"Dirk? Have you seen Quint?" Jack knocked again. Then again. And once more.

Dirk growled with annoyance and released Quint, draping the blanket over most of him as he rolled himself out of bed. He huffed as he opened the door to glower down at Jack, whose fist was still raised, ready to knock a forth time.

"It's way too early for your shenanigans, Sullivan."

Jack just smiled up at him, knowing that Dirk was more bark than bite.

"I was looking for Quint." He added, good-naturedly.

"I know. The whole town probably heard you." Dirk rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "He slept in here since he doesn't have a bed yet."

"Oh." Jack tried to look beyond Dirk, who took up most of the doorway. "He could have slept on the blanket pile with us."

Quint sat up and rubbed his eyes, knowing that sleep was a far away dream now.

"Between you and June? No thank you." He rose to his feet and yawned once more as his feet touched the cold wood floor below.  
Jack pouted and turned away.

"Fine, but I'll have you know, I'm a great cuddler." Jack added as he marched back into the living room where June was already going through a few books she'd picked out the day before, her feet crossed at the ankles and propped up on one of Rover's legs.

"I'll make breakfast." Dirk sighed and put his hand on Quint's back as he walked by him, heading into the kitchen. Maybe if he delayed getting Quint his own bed he could make sharing his bed a nightly occurrence. Quint watched him go by for a moment before he took back to his organizing, staying by the shelves in the kitchen again.

"So," Quint started as he glanced down the way, looking at Jack as he happily prattled on about something to June. "I think I have an idea."

Dirk gave a hum in response, encouraging Quint to elaborate while he busied himself with breakfast.

"The tree-house wasn't sturdy enough for what we needed. However, with the help of the worms, we could use multiple trees to equally distribute the weight." Quint placed a few books into the fire pile. More junk comprising of old magazines about uninteresting people.

"What, like the Ewoks?" Dirk looked over at him with a raised brow. Quint just grinned at him, looking terribly smug, it was unbecoming of him, yet Dirk felt his heart pick up at the sight. At least he was happy.

"I thought you didn't watch Star Wars."

Dirk jolted a bit, before he quickly turned back to his cooking, choosing to shield his face from Quint.

"It's the only junk you and Jack had at the time!" He tried to defend himself. Quint just laughed softly.

"Of course, of course. Anyways, yes, like the Ewoks then. We could get several trees and set up a bigger foundation to build on so that we could add onto it with ease. If we really wanted to, we could even build the town up that way. Of course there is always threats of tree rot, lightning..." Quint pressed his index finger from his right hand against the fingertips on his left hand, counting the different ways it could end badly.

"And you wanna hide it from Jack to surprise him." Dirk could easily read Quint.

"It meant a lot to him. Plus, the height advantage would be excellent to have again." Now he was contemplating compiling a list of 'pros and cons'. Or maybe he could put it to a vote for the monsters that lived among them. Who knew if they had fears of heights or just liked the ground more.

Dirk hummed in thought as he flipped a pancake on the pan. Having more space could be a good thing, and by building from scratch it would let them pick and choose the layout they wanted. Maybe one tree for a shared space and planning, one for just bedrooms, one for projects, and so on.

"A project like that would be really hard to hide." He placed the cooked pancake onto the stack and shut off the heat.

"Not if we built them in the forest first with ways to detach them from each other before relocating them into town."

Dirk's blood ran cold at the idea of Quint back in the forest. He stopped what he was doing and quickly looked back at Quint.

"I don't want anyone going in the forest again." He pointed the spatula at the smaller, tone serious.

"Dirk, that was three years ago. We beat that monster and Bardle scouts there weekly now. It's perfectly safe." Quint set the last book from the shelf down onto a pile and looked up at him. Dirk let out an annoyed grunt and finally huffed, as always, unable to argue with Quint.

"You aren't allowed to go without me then. Ever." He took a step closer and pressed the end of the spatula into Quint's chest, leaving the pancake on the pan to burn slowly.

"Alright. That's fair then." Quint smiled, knowing he'd won by technicality. He would compose the blueprints at a later date. It would be more wise to start in spring, when the snow wouldn't be a nuisance. 

"You know, one day I'm gonna learn how to tell you no." Dirk huffed as he set the spatula into the sink.

"I very much doubt that." Quint moved into his space, crowding the sink to wash his hands. Dirk doubted it too.

Once everyone was fed (the burnt pancake going to Jack for the rude wake up call), and the kitchen was cleaned up again, everyone went back to their own daily tasks. Jack and June continued clearing the rest of the tree-house, Quint was far too engrossed in his sorting to even think about going out bed hunting, and Dirk was outside in the small greenhouse taking care of his plants.

Quint had made some sizable piles building up and knew he'd have to start relocating the piles to keep the living area clear. Plus, he was afraid that Rover would knock into them and make him have to start all over again. So he put all of one sorted pile onto a rolling book-cart and took it to one corner of the library and unloaded it there before doing the same with each pile until the floor was clear again. He sighed, knowing he needed a break. Dirk would be proud of him if he took it upon himself to actually take time to relax for a moment.

He grabbed his water and moved into a part of the library with benches and tables before sitting down. He glanced around at all the shelves that he still needed to go through. When he shifted his feet against the floor, he noticed that he made contact with something. Peering down, he saw a magazine on the floor. It was brightly colored with big bold letters. One of those annoying attention grabbing teen magazines. So he grabbed it and set it in front of himself.

In big yellow bubbled letters, the front read: "Does your crush love you?" Quint chuckled at that. It was a desperate grab at teenage girls, trying to gain money by promising them ways to 'win over their crush.'

Feigning interest, Quint opened the magazine.

There was a quiz inside, followed by some articles that explained how to 'woo' someone.

He wasn't about to get up to search for a pen, that would be ridiculous. He wasn't about to let some dumb magazine convince him that this would help him.

Still, Quint wasn't really sure what to do. He thought his feelings for Dirk were transparent, but if they were, Dirk wasn't really responding in a way that made him think Dirk returned his feelings. He could even have been responding in a way that indicated he was just trying to let him down easily. Although, last night was definitely something that sparked hope. It could have been because Dirk took pity on him, even holding him close due to the cold. But then he wouldn't have pulled him back down after their rude awakening. Right?

With a sigh, Quint looked down at the quiz and began.

"'Does he stare at you without a reason?'" Quint tapped the corner of the page. If he did, he never noticed. 

"Does he try to spend time with you alone?" Well, being alone was a rare occurrence. But he couldn't recall Dirk trying to do so. It could be hard to escape each other's company. The four were a tight-knit group, and usually, splitting up could be a bad idea. So no again.

"Does he find excuses to, or touch you without reason, but doesn't with others?" Now that was _actually_ interesting. Dirk was often touching his arm, or back. Countless times he'd easily manhandled him, in and out of battles too. He couldn't count how many times Dirk had just lifted him off the ground during a skirmish to get him to safety. He'd also lifted him to get him into smaller spaces or to reach shelves when a ladder was nearby. Lately, it was usually him lifting him to pull him away from his latest interest for a break.

Yes?

The quiz went on for two pages and by the end, Quint seemed to be in the "Your love isn't meant to be" category. Maybe this quiz didn't apply to male relationships.

Still, Quint felt sadness twist inside him like a knot, and he rose to his feet to toss the magazine on the top of the pile to burn before getting back to work. Maybe he should distance himself from Dirk a bit. If his feelings were clear, then Dirk wasn't reacting to them. So maybe the magazine was right after all.

With a heavy heart, Quint began on a new shelf, hoping to preoccupy his mind by keeping his body busy. It was a few hours before anyone would return.

Quint had no idea how much time had actually passed before Dirk returned, quickly invading his space to pull him away from his work to force him to take a break.

"Did you even stop to eat?" Dirk sighed as he ushered Quint to the living area. When Quint just gave him a guilty look, he knew the answer was no. One of these days Dirk swore he was going to find something with a timer so he could easily monitor him. It wasn't bad that he got so focused on his work, but it could be bad if he didn't rest or even eat.

"I did take a quick break today though." Quint interjected in a small voice.

"Jeez. Alright, watch TV and I'll make you something real quick." Dirk quickly disappeared into the kitchen without another word. He'd been gone for a few hours, leaving Quint to wonder where he had gone. Surely the plants didn't need that much time, considering how few were left alive from the winter storm. Where would he have gone alone? Sure, it was safer outside lately, but that didn't mean it was at all wise of any of them to go off on their own.

He didn't ask, he would always allow Dirk that privacy unless he suspected it would put them in direct peril. He did, however, watch him from his spot on the couch, disinterested in the television. Had Dirk always been so catching?

Whereas everyone had simply had grown taller, or even a bit broader, Dirk had all of that and more. He was... much larger than the others. Quint was sure he was twice as broad as he was, if not three times if that was at all physically possible.

Over the years, he'd gotten a number of scars and even some burns from some of the few fire or acid spitting monsters they'd encountered. Still, he was as handsome as ever. His arms were solid, reminding Quint of how powerful he could be, yet he was always painfully gentle, as if afraid he would hurt him by a single touch. He knew of the several scars that lined his arms that hid under his shirt. All too many times he'd had to stitch him up himself. He always had a carefully steady hand when he had to tend to him. Each scar was a different story, and Quint loved each and every one of them. Quint was almost grateful they hadn't come across any other humans, knowing he'd have found someone quickly. He wasn't sure he could bear to see Dirk be with someone else. Sure, he would be happy for Dirk but.. That didn't mean it wouldn't tear him apart piece by piece to know that happiness would never belong to him.

"Quint!" Jack burst into the library just then, sending Quint hurdling out of his own mind as Jack approached him with a wide grin on his face.

"Look, look!" He tried to leap over the back of the couch and missed his footing completely, landing on the rug below with a thud. He quickly recovered and held up the item.

It was his original bestiary.

Quint blinked, staring at the old thing before he reached for the book. It had been years since they'd seen the old thing. It was a little dirty and tattered, but still holding together. Perhaps it was time to compile a new one, complete with more information, such as environments each lived in, if it was poisonous, or edible even.

"I thought we could fix it up and add it to our big library." Jack said excitedly, half reading Quint's mind. "It's like, a symbol of our family!"

Dirk popped back into the living area, handing a plate with a sandwich and chips on it to Quint. He took one quick glance at the book and smirked.

"That thing reeks." He commented as he put his hands on the back of the couch behind where Quint sat, caught back in his inescapable gravity.

"It _reeks_ , dear Dirk, of _friendship_!" Jack insisted proudly, scoffing indignantly at the audacity of Dirk's accusation. 

June opened the door next, yelling for Jack, who had left her and Rover the instant he had pulled the book out from a pile of dirty laundry. Jack's attention span had never really improved much.

"Hey! You were supposed to help Rover and I!" She huffed. Jack reeled back as she got in his face and shoved an old hoodie into his chest.

"You're helping haul everything in! And _then,_ you're carrying the beds in by yourself for that!" She grabbed him by the collar and tugged him back outside to the car.

"Man," Dirk chuckled, breaking the tension before it could grow taut. His fingers drummed against the back of the couch, bringing small vibrations to Quint's shoulders. "I can't wait for when they have kids. I'm gonna be a kick ass uncle."

"Kids?" Quint looked the two with wide eyes as they both retreated outside. He couldn't imagine June wanting to have kids anytime soon, but he could definitely see Jack wanting as many as possible. After having no family at all for most of his life, he could see Jack with a gaggle of children around him at all times. He deserved that happiness. Of course, the idea of Dirk spending time with small children was... something that Quint didn't expect to hit him. It was something that may never happen and even that twisted him up inside.

"Somehow," Quint spoke up, finally. "I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon."

"Well yeah, I mean, they aren't even really... Y'know." Dirk gestured vaguely. Quint got the gist of it though. Despite Jack's feelings being transparently clear, June was more reserved in her own.

"Maybe since things are better though." Dirk looked at the bestiary. "Maybe she'll finally be honest."

"Remember when he sang an entire Def Leppard album to her at Joe's?" Quint chuckled before taking a bite out of his nearly forgotten sandwich. His stomach was suddenly very aware of how hungry he was.

Dirk laughed.

"She still regrets telling him that she liked that old band. And Jack can /not/ sing. Like, at all. And the air guitar thing?" Dirk moved to sit beside Quint on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table and his arms around the back of the couch, his arm gently pressing against Quint.

"I still have second hand embarrassment for her." Quint chuckled once more.

"She secretly loved it. But the best part was how he'd lost his voice from it and couldn't talk for almost a week! Maybe if he'd found a real guitar and learned how to play, it would have been really impressive." Dirk grabbed the remote and turned the TV on, letting whatever movie that was in the player start.

Quint just smiled behind his sandwich, content with falling into silence with Dirk by his side.

June and Jack came back in, each holding the last of the contents of the tree-house worth salvaging. Most items were in boxes, baskets, and even tied up inside sheets, being left near the front to be dealt with later.

"Alright, now Jack gets to haul in the beds for leaving Rover and I alone." June kicked off her boots and sat on the opposite side of the couch with a loud sigh. She mimicked Dirk and put her heels up on the table as well before reaching over to steal a few chips off of Quint's plate.

"We got you a bed, Quint." She said with her mouth full. "It's a nice one."

Quint was slightly worried about the condition of the mattresses until he saw Jack struggling to haul one in through the doors. It was still wrapped in plastic, which meant that it was preserved. He hadn't had a new bed since before the apocalypse. He let out a small hum of interest as he now worried that Jack would scrape it on the floor.

Dirk looked back by tilting his head back on the back of the couch, watching from his upside-down perspective as Jack struggled alone. He couldn't help but feel disappointed, if Quint had a bed, that meant he wouldn't need to sleep with him.

He rose to his feet made his way over to Jack. He shooed Jack off and lifted the mattress with relative ease to take it to Quint's room. He leaned it against the wall so they could rip it out of it's plastic easier.

  
"Don't open it yet!" Jack yelled to him as he followed after him. "We found those bars that lift it off the floor!"

"Bed-frame." June corrected.

Jack was somehow even more energetic than usual today, buzzing around pleasantly. 

"We have to go back for the really big bed though." Jack grinned proudly at June, who turned red in the face before sinking into the couch wordlessly.

Quint just looked at her as everything clicked into place. He and Dirk looked to each other to see if they'd both picked up on it. 

June just pulled the drawstrings of her hoodie tightly in attempt to hide her face, though she didn't deny anything.

"Did you two finally?" Dirk finally looked at Jack who's grin seemed to grow.

"Fuck, finally!" He smacked his hand onto Jack's back in good nature, making Jack wheeze as he lurched forward from the strength. "Just let us know if you need some- y'know. Time alone."

"Shut up!" June sat up and tossed a throw pillow towards them. Quint just smiled and turned back to his food.

Dirk just snorted in amusement as he followed Jack back to the car to finish unloading the bed-frames, no doubt continuing to congratulate him. It explained why Jack was in quite possibly, the best mood of his life. Now would be the time to strategically unload their unsavory chores onto him since he was filled with so much energy.

Once the frames were built, they unwrapped the mattress and laid it onto the frame. The only thing it needed was some bedding. But, that was a job for tomorrow. It was nearly nightfall now, and with the inclimate weather it was smart to be set up before dark. So they lit another fire and gathered around it to have a quiet evening in each other's company.

Dirk sat on a large lounge chair as he thumbed through a cookbook, with Quint seated on the arm of it, leaned carefully against Dirk's shoulder as he watched Jack and June play a game. Jack continuously tried to do the yawn-and-stretch technique, only to be met with an elbow in the ribs or a gentle shove from her. It was interesting to see them interact. It was almost as if nothing had really changed between them.

It wasn't until an hour later that Jack was the one comfortably tucked under June's arm, fast asleep as she continued to play, this time with Quint as player two. He was surprised at how cute he found them like that. He was just glad that it finally seemed to happen for them both. The thought of actually having to repopulate was quite daunting. Considering that there was quite possibly just the four of them, it wasn't even the slightest bit possible. It led him to wonder if it was possible for human and monster DNA to combine.

He shuddered at the thought. Dirk, beside him, took notice and glanced at him questioningly, with an added hum of interest.

"It's nothing. Just a weird thought I guess." He admitted.

"Uh huh." Dirk nodded in response as he yawned. "Alright, I think I'm gonna crash."

Quint leaned away to keep from falling into the chair as Dirk rose to his feet and stretched, leaving a leaflet in his book. Maybe a recipe he wanted to try tomorrow?

June nodded and gently shook Jack to wake him. He just groaned softly, muttering something about a yeti eating his cotton candy as June ushered him off, Rover following behind groggily them.

Quint looked to his room, where it sat in the dark with a bare mattress inside. He frowned at the thought of being alone again. If he was brave, he would ask Dirk if he could just stay in his room with him. After they spent the last four years sleeping so close by each other, sleeping alone seemed daunting.

Dirk seemed to pick up on his thought and he pressed a comforting hand onto his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. If Quint had been weaker, he would have allowed himself to melt into the simplest touch. He knew that if did, he would drown in it. A part of him wondered if that would be better than keeping a distance.

"If you uh-want-?" Dirk was unable to put the right words together as he pointed his thumb back towards his room. Quint got the message. He tried not to look excited at the prospect. If anyone asked, it was because he didn't have any bedding and would be cold. They both cleaned up and changed for bed before crawling under the heady fur covers.

Once they were both in the bed, Dirk had, like the night before, pulled Quint in close. His arms were loose like the night before, leaving Quint the option to pull away. But, Quint wanted nothing more than to press himself fully against him and let himself be enveloped in the heat.

They were both a little tense, not wanting to speak in fear of ruining this moment. So they just kept quiet, not even muttering a good-night as they closed their eyes in hopes of sleeping. Neither knowing just how much they wanted this to never end.

After some time, sleep finally managed to take them both and there was only the sound of their soft breathing filling the room.

It was Quint that woke up a few short hours later, rolling over underneath the heavy arm that was draped over his waist, now facing Dirk. He blinked tiredly as he stared up at Dirk's sleeping face. It was exhilarating. 

The light of the night's full moon was casting into the room, illuminating them in a soft glow. It scared Quint how private the moment felt. He was fortunate to see Dirk like this, his guard completely down, relaxed, and at peace, nothing but a few small scars littering his otherwise handsome face. He couldn't even attempt to stop himself from reaching out, letting his thumb gently brush over a scar adjourning his cheek. He wanted to file this moment away, to be able to hold onto for the rest of his life. It may be the only chance he ever got.

Quint frowned as he followed the scar up to his cheekbone as he remembered the monster that had caused it. He had the overwhelming desire to kiss it, but he hurriedly brushed that feeling under the rug, not allowing himself to dive that deep into the waters.

When Dirk twitched, Quint's hand froze in place, petrified at the aspect of being caught.

Dirk gave out a small grunt as he opened an eye to glance at the smaller.

"You 'kay?" He spoke in a whisper, voice heavy with sleep.

Quint's eyes were wide, unsure of what to say or do. He couldn't even fathom how Dirk would react. 

"Quint?" Dirk reached his hand up and gently placed it over Quint's. Quint could have sworn that his soul left his body at this point, projecting outside of his body and all he could do was dumbly blink at Dirk.

Dirk just smiled tiredly before pulling Quint's hand down to press a quick kiss to the inside of his palm before pulling him in closer with his free hand, their joined hands falling between them. And in an instant, Dirk was asleep again, leaving Quint in a state of shock.

Did that really happen? Or was Quint just dreaming the whole thing?

He laid there in the light of the moon, unsure of what to do with himself. How was he supposed to react to that? Why had Dirk done that in the first place?

It wasn't the first time that Dirk had left him speechless, and he knew without the slightest hint uncertainty, that it wouldn't be the last.

\---

The next time Quint had woken up, he found himself alone with the blankets on top of him. He yawned as he sat up and stretched, shivering from the loss of warmth. At least the sun was out today, maybe with some luck, it would melt some of the snow coating the roads.

Quint pulled himself out of bed tiredly and left the room, noting that everyone else was already awake and dressed for the day. He quietly retreated to his own room to change before joining the others at the breakfast table, where, it seemed french toast and eggs were on the menu today.

Jack moaned into his breakfast happily.

"If the apocalypse hadn't happened, you would have been a famous chef." Jack pointed his fork at Dirk, not caring that it dripped syrup onto the table.

Dirk just rolled his eyes and smirked into his own food.

"Should we leave you and your food alone?" June joked.

"Yes, yes you should." Jack took another noisy bite. "Unless you're jealous."

Jack waggled his eyebrows at June. She just rolled her eyes in response.

"Yeah, jealous that you're hogging all the syrup for yourself." She smacked his hand away and reached for the syrup.

Quint joined them at the table, seating himself in his usual spot beside Dirk. He wondered how their dynamic would change now that June and Jack were official.

Dirk just shook his head at them as he loaded up Quint's plate and handed him his utensils. Quint gave him a small 'thanks' before gladly taking a bite.

"So uh," Jack looked between the two. "Quint slept in your room again?"

Quint coughed suddenly at the comment, it sparked his memory of what had occurred last night. Dirk carefully patted him on the back with one hand, the other offering him a glass of water. Jack really had no filter sometimes.

Jack and June shared a knowing look before quietly continuing to eat, it was one that Quint felt resembled the one he often shared with Dirk whenever Jack or June mentioned the other.

No one said anything else throughout breakfast.

Jack and June had finished first and excused themselves. The pair were heading back out into town to get their bed and some bedding, once more, leaving Quint and Dirk to their own devices for the day.

Dirk had been a little quiet since breakfast had ended. Quint wasn't sure if he was just imagining it or not, but he had seemed a bit more squirmish and shy.

As they began to clean up the dishes, Dirk had cleared his throat.

"So uh, wanna go to Joe's later?" He asked, not able to look Quint in the eyes, instead focusing on a seemingly nonexistent spot on a plate.

It had been a little while since they had gone to Joe's, only going to pick up items from the walk in fridge. For the moment, it was cold enough that they could leave certain food items locked up outside and it would stay fresh. Quint hoped to have a fridge for the library space by spring.

"Sure. Pizza sounds good." Quint smiled as he set a bowl onto the drying rack.

"Cool, cool." Dirk rubbed the back of his neck, hissing when he realized his hand was still wet and was now dripping water down the back of his shirt. "Shit."

Quint just chuckled and placed a hand towel on the back of his neck.

"Can you uh, meet me there at like, uh, five? I have to do some stuff." Dirk rubbed the towel against his shirt before setting it onto the counter, continuing to wash the dishes.

"Oh. Sure. I'll keep working on sorting today then."

"Yeah. Just uh, don't get carried away. Take breaks, okay? But uh, don't eat." Dirk added, still looking shy.

"I promise." Quint smiled again as he dried his hands, already setting back to work. He wasn't sure what was going through Dirk's mind, but he would play along willingly.

When Dirk finally headed for the door, he left with a full duffel bag in hand, calling back to Quint to remind him to meet at Joe's. Quint watched him go, putting a hand up in the air as he left.

Once Dirk had left, Quint stared at the shelves, wondering what Dirk was up to. He still wondered if Dirk had remembered what happened last night. Did he do it intentionally or was he half asleep when he did it? Is that why he was acting that way? Because he remembered? He couldn't determine if that was a good thing or not.

Quint stared blankly at a book in his hands, suddenly his mind was too full to focus on his sorting. He sighed softly and set it back down. Instead, he looked over at the boxes that June and Jack had retrieved yesterday, wondering what memories were inside. He set one of the boxes onto a table and pulled the flaps open.

Inside was a variety of clutter. Broken pieces of old experiments, deflated balls, some netting. Most were things that could be discarded. At the bottom, however, was a pair of ping-pong paddles. He smiled to himself as he pulled them out and looked at them. It was the first thing Dirk had done for him.

He sat down at table and turned the old things over in his hands. They had seen better days, but they meant a lot to him now. He remembered how Dirk said Jack mentioned to him that he liked to play, so he had brought the table back to the tree-house for him. It was meaningful to him that Dirk had gone through so much trouble just to make him happy. The table, had unfortunately been destroyed when they had moved the tree-house. He never even thought to locate another.

He set the paddle down onto the table, suddenly filled with inspiration. He wanted to get them another table. It wouldn't be easy. He could probably find one easily enough in an old toy or sporting store, sure. But hauling it back alone in the snow would be... impossible. At least without the car it would be. Maybe if June and Jack came back sooner, he would go out searching.

With a new goal in mind, Quint began sorting through the boxes to put them away. He left the kitchen items to the side for Dirk to put away. He didn't want to put things away only for Dirk to resort later when it was just easier to leave it to him in the first place. Anything that was Jack or June's, he left by their door, and the same for his, or for Dirk's items.

It was nearly four when Jack and June had returned with new items. Most of the boxes had been cleared away, leaving the entrance relatively cleared up. June had rushed up to him suddenly with a bag in her hand.

"Hey, Quint! Uh, we found some clothes for you! Try them on for us!" She spoke as she pushed the bag into his arms before sending him towards his room to change. Quint could only blink as he was suddenly in his room with the door closed behind him.

At this point in his life, he'd learned not to question June. She was strong-headed, so he knew to just avoid arguing with her unless absolutely necessary.

So he dumped the contents of the bag onto his bed. Inside was a dark blue button up shirt, with black slacks, dark brown dress shoes, with a dark brown belt to match. He knew this was some kind of ploy. But, again, when it came to June he didn't argue. It was just best to just appease her.

The clothes fit... surprisingly well. He was sure that she must have taken some of his clothes to piece this together. Once fully dressed, he reluctantly opened the door to see both June and Jack staring expectantly at him. Jack had his hands clasped up towards his face, unable to hide the giddy smile on his face.

"You look awesome, man!" Jack exclaimed.

"Can I ask what this is pertaining to? I know you didn't just... 'happen' to find all this." Quint stiffened up as June approached him, reaching out to button the cuffs of his shirt for him.

"Nope. You can't ask." She then dragged him into a chair and forced him to sit as she cleaned him up a bit. "I will, however, tell you that you look great."

"I picked out the shoes!" Jack proclaimed with pride.

"Is that why my favorite shoes disappeared last week?" Quint accused with a raised brow at him.

"Uh. No?" Jack squeaked as he moved to June's side.

"So I'm not allowed to ask what any of this is about?" He dared to ask again.

"Nope. Now come on, Joe's awaits!" Jack waited until she was finished before putting a coat on Quint.

He wondered if Dirk was trying to make some new kind of pizza and they were just excited or something. It was odd that they only made him dress up though...

For good measure, June wrapped a scarf around his neck before they forced him into the back of the car. Quint almost felt nervous. Was he forgetting some kind of event they had planned? Maybe they were celebrating the library as a new home?

In a few short minutes, they had pulled up to Joe's.

Quint squinted as he stared at the building. It looked dark inside.

The moment he stepped out of the car, June and Jack had waved and said a quick good-bye before driving off into the snow. The last hour had happened so quickly, that Quint suspected he had some kind of mental whiplash. One moment he was putting things away and suddenly he was dressed, cleaned up, and set on the doorstep of Joe's, alone.

With too many questions in his mind, Quint just decided to go against his better nature and just throw caution to the wind. At least it would be warm inside.

So, with a steady breath, he pushed open the front door, instantly relieved by the heat inside. Most of the lights inside were turned off, however, there were was soft lighting coming from strings of fairy lights that were hung up all over, with some candles placed carefully in the middle of the 'popular table'. The jukebox was playing some soft music that filled the otherwise silent room.

Quint looked around at the empty building as he removed the scarf and coat and set them on a nearby booth.

"Hello?" Quint looked around at the lights. Where was everyone? Or anyone? The place was usually jam packed with monsters at this time. Why was is decorated like this? What exactly was he walking into?

He heard the metallic sound of some kind of pot hitting the kitchen floor, followed shortly by what was surely Dirk cursing.

Just as he was about to go into the back and check on him, Dirk had appeared, pulling quickly at the apron still on his body until it was off and piled up into his hand. He looked thoroughly flustered, as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't have.

"Dirk? Where is everyone?" Quint took a few steps towards him.

"Uh, gimmie a sec. Go sit." Dirk motioned to the 'popular table' before quickly disappearing into the back again.

Quint stood there motionless for a moment mind overworking as he tried to figure out what was happening here. With a sigh, he headed to the table. He slid into one of the booths and twiddled his thumbs aimlessly, listening idly to the sounds of Dirk moving around in the kitchen. After a few short minutes passed, Quint leaned forward on the table, staring at the candles as they flickered.

The kitchen door swung open by the force of a cart coming through, surprising Quint and making him sit up straight. Dirk pushed the cart over to the booth and looked anywhere but Quint's eyes as he placed the covered dishes onto the table.

"Okay, uh, it was my first time making this so, don't be too harsh." Now that Dirk was in the light, Quint could see that he'd cleaned himself up. Even his hair was slicked back and he was wearing a dark red button up shirt, and he swore that the sleeves were threatening to tear. He admitted that he would be happy to see it happen.

"Dirk? What's this all-" Quint stopped as Dirk pulled the cover back on the plate. Any thoughts he had faltered and left him at the sight. What had been under the cover was what looked like a dinner his grandmother had made. He quickly looked up at Dirk for an answer.

"Okay so... Your birthday is tomorrow." Dirk started to explain and- wait. It was?

Quint couldn't believe that he'd actually managed to forget his own birthday, but it looked like everyone else remembered.

"So a few weeks ago, I took the others back to your old house to find something for you. We found a bunch of recipes. Uh, handwritten ones." Dirk rolled the cutlery out for him before continuing. "Then we found a laminator in the library and decided to put them all together."

Dirk reached under the cart to the bottom shelf and set a carefully wrapped present onto the table in front of Quint.

"Which, I probably should have told you _after_ you opened that. Anyways, June did most of that. But I saw that this one was the most... worn looking. So I figured it was made a lot, right?" Dirk rubbed the back of his neck shyly, finally managing to meet Quint's gaze.

"And then after that, I made one of the desserts in there too. It's uh, a pie. The first batch came out really good so, I'm pretty sure I got that right." Dirk stopped as tears slowly rolled down Quint's face. When had he started crying?

Quint just blinked as he stared at the food that was laid out before him. Thinking of all the time and effort that his friends had gone into just for him. His chest swelled with emotion.

"Quint? Fuck, did I pick a bad recipe?" Dirk recoiled a bit, pushing the cart away to step onto the raised platform of the boot. Dirk reached across the table, grabbing some napkins from the dispenser to hand to Quint.

Quint just sniffled and dabbed his eyes with the offered napkins.

"No, no. It's just..." Quint stopped and sniffled again, a small smile on his face. "It's just... Thank you."

Dirk crowded his space by pushing into the same side to pull him close, allowing Quint to cry a bit more. A few moments passed by in a comfortable silence before Dirk finally broke the silence.

"I'll let you cry a bit longer, but I wont let your food get cold." Dirk rubbed soothing circles into Quint's back, Quint chuckled softly at the remark and pulled back, staring down at the familiar but nearly forgotten dinner. "And you'd better open that gift. Even if I already told you what it was. But after you eat."

Quint just nodded, a small smile still on his face as he slowly ate. He still didn't know why it was just the two of them. Unless Dirk just didn't have enough for more people. Or maybe he wanted to give Quint the privacy since he probably knew he would cry from it. Dirk slid out of the booth and pushed the cart back to the kitchen, only to return with another dish that was likely to be the aforementioned pie.

Dirk set the dish onto the table and slid into the opposite booth.

"So uh, you're probably wondering why it's just the two of us, right?" There it was again, shy Dirk. He was unsure of himself, moving carefully to pull back the cover of the pie. Quint was impressed, he'd even rolled out the top of the pie perfectly. He set his fork down and looked at Dirk as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

"The thought had crossed my mind, yes." It had been on his mind since he stepped into the building. They were both cleaned and dressed up, alone in a romantic setting. It made Quint's heart skip as he tried not to let his mind jump to the possibilities, afraid he'd reach to far only to fall and get hurt.

Dirk tapped his fingers against the table nervously.

"Well... I uh... Wanted to..." He faltered. "See I was hoping that..."

Dirk stopped and rubbed his face.

"Dirk," Quint reached over and put a hand over one of Dirk's, pulling it away from his face. He was going to put his all into this one final attempt. His last try to make his feelings as transparent as Jack's feelings for June. Well, just short of standing on a rooftop proclaiming it for the third time that month.

"Is... Am I reading this correctly?" He asked. Dirk stared down at their hands, turning his own to hold Quint's hand properly.

"I... How are you reading it?" Dirk finally glanced up at Quint.

"Is this a date?" Quint put it out there, putting his heart on the line to air, hoping Dirk wouldn't cut the thread to lead him plummeting down.

Dirk fell silent, his ears a bright red as he rubbed his thumb over the back of Quint's hand.

"Only if you want it to be." His voice was small. It was so unlike Dirk to be unsure of himself. He was exposing something private to Quint, trusting him with something so fragile. He was leaving himself open, armor cast aside.

"Do you want it to be?" Quint asked, already growing more sure of what the answer was, feeling a boldness grow inside of him that was all to new to him.

"Fuck yes." Dirk exhaled shakily, giving Quint's hand a gentle squeeze.

In what Quint hoped was a quick and seamless motion, (which was really more like, he stumbled and nearly tripped over his own feet while climbing out of his booth and into Dirk's,) Quint had worked up the courage to grab the front of Dirk's shirt to propel himself up until they were kissing.

Dirk was caught off-guard but quickly recovered as a wave of relief rushed over him, combined with every feeling of wanting that he'd shoved down for four years. It seemed that the fire hadn't diminished, if anything it just grew until it was burning him from the inside to his fingertips.

The kiss was in no way perfect. It was at an awkward angle, the two unfamiliar with the motion, but fully ready to learn together.

Dirk placed a steadying hand onto Quint's hip, maneuvering him with ease until he was closer, as far into his lap as he could be without the table jutting out in their way. It didn't last long until they broke apart, slightly breathless as Dirk pressed their foreheads together. They laughed softly. 

Quint felt elated. His heart beating so loudly it was 

"I really want you to eat, but I can always make it again." Dirk commented as he pushed the items to the other side of the table, the fire still burning brightly inside of him. He pulled Quint up until he was seated onto the now cleared part of the table.

"Will you make the others for me?" Quint chuckled as he let Dirk move him.

"I'll make you anything you want." Dirk stood at the end of the table, standing between Quint's legs as he moved into his space to kiss him again, this time at an easier angle. His hands settled on Quint's hips, afraid to move anywhere more intimate for now. This was new to the both of them, finally allowed the moment to explore what else life had for them other than fighting monsters. Quint smiled against his lips and wrapped his arms around his neck, inclined to keep Dirk there for as long as he could.

\---

Neither had any idea exactly how much time had passed, but the food was definitely cold now, the candles were almost out, and the jukebox had run out of the set playlist. 

Quint was still seated on the table while Dirk was back in the booth, both happily picking away at the cold pie. 

"Thank you." Quint wiped his mouth, smiling down at Dirk. "For all this."

Quint looked around at the lights, still amazed that this whole evening was for him. 

"Don't thank me. You deserve this." Dirk placed the still unopened gift into his lap before giving a gentle squeeze to his leg. "You'd better open it or I'll think you don't like it."

Quint chuckled and tore the paper with ease, letting it fall onto Dirk. He was surprised how much energy he had. 

The paged were laminated like Dirk had mentioned earlier, to protect them. He let his fingertips run over the front of the book, smiling at the time and love that had been put into the book. He opened it and looked over at the familiar recipes, some in his mother's handwriting, some in his grandmothers, and so on. He didn't recognize all of them, but he was sure that Dirk was going to do his best to cook each one for him.

"Dirk." Quint rubbed his eyes again and closed the book.

"Remember, Jack and June helped. So thank them later. Just uh... not the way you thanked me." Dirk added jokingly.

"Would you get jealous?" Quint chuckled, setting the book onto the table.

"Maybe." 

Quint hummed happily as he scooped up another spoonful of the pie. 

"Hey, how are we getting home?" He looked down at Dirk, suddenly realizing that he'd been dropped off here. 

"Uh." Dirk faltered and got up to pull open the blinds a bit. He was met with a fresh patch of snow in the dark night. "I guess June and Jack will have to come get us tomorrow."

Quint just laughed. He was another year older in a few short hours, and he couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate it.


End file.
